“Roscoe,” the Kevin grunts from exertion. “Caught me a motherfuckin’ alien! Check this shit out!”
He has my zonnoblaster in my hand pinned beneath his knee, but my other hand is free. I fling off my glove, bare my claws, and rake it along his side, tearing into his flesh. He howls in pain.
“Eddie! What the fuck?!”
“Don’t be a pussy,” Eddie bellows. “Help me with this monster! He has claws.”
“I have teeth, too,” I snarl, my sub-bones popping loud enough to vibrate through me.
Eddie’s eyes widen a fraction when I bare my teeth at him. Roscoe takes off running, leaving his friend behind. Eddie and I grapple until I’ve flipped him. He struggles to keep hold of my weapon, but I don’t need it.
Boom!
The earth trembles violently from a nearby blast. Sickness churns in my gut as I fear they’ve obliterated my mate. A crazed rage overtakes me. I pierce my claws into Eddie’s throat and savagely rip through the flesh and tendons. Bright red blood flies from his neck in a thick spurt, splattering my face mask and blinding me. Since I can’t see him, I continue to shred at the human beneath me with my claws. As soon as his grip on my weapon falls away, I yank it from his grip, shove the barrel into what I hope is his nog, and pull the trigger.
Kapow!
The body jolts and then nothing. Quickly, I yank off my face mask, uncaring if I’m exposed, especially now that I think we might survive it having seen those other mort-like men. I have to find my mate. Now. I rise to my feet, scanning the thick, red clouds of dust.
“Zoe!” I yell and cough through the particles clouding the air around me. “Zoe!”
I grab my zonnoblaster and rush toward the mouth of the valley where I last saw Zoe. As I rush through the haze, I trip over bodies. All are Kevins. Not my mate. When I finally reach her vehicle, I nearly choke on my horror.
No.
No!
Her vehicle is in a few massive hunks smashed along the side of the mountain. I scan the area, looking for her body. Please let her be okay.
“What did you do?” someone bellows at me. “You killed them all!”
I turn in time to see Roscoe racing my way. My sub-bones pop one by one as I ready my battle stance. Just as I aim my zonnoblaster, he darts away. The blast hits a dead Kevin, blowing hunks everywhere. Roscoe appears again. He’s agile, quickly darting his way over to me before I can take my aim again. I grunt when he knocks me to the ground. My head spins as fatigue weighs heavily on me.
Not now.
Rekk no!
The Kevin slams a useless fist into my face but howls in pain. His hit knocks my nog to the side, but his bones are less dense than mine. All humans are. I learned this while studying the females and comparing them to the morts. I’m certain by the way he sobs, he’s broken many bones from that hit.
I may not be a fighter, and instead a healer, but my fierce need to find and protect my mate feeds my instinct. All I can think about is locating her. First, I need to eliminate this weak creature.
“You landed on the wrong planet,” I growl, piercing his face with my claws and yanking him to me.
Since their necks seem to be their fragile point, I use my newly elongated fangs to pierce his flesh. He screams as I latch on to the tendons and pull back. The sounds are sickening and wet, but it’s necessary. His blood, like that of Eddie, gushes out in an arced spray, hitting the earth beside me with a splat. His body collapses and I shove him away.
“Zoe!” I roar. “Zoe!”
I search the wreckage but come up empty. Each body I find belongs to a Kevin. Perhaps she managed to escape. I rush back toward the clearing. I’m stopped when a ship hovers in front of me, weapons aimed right at me.
But, rather than shooting me, it lands. Then, the engines cease making noise. I choke on the dust and squint to see Julie behind the glass. No rekking way!
She waves at me, but my primary concern is Zoe. I begin searching for her when I hear her sweet voice.
"Avrell!”
From beyond the ship, she runs my way. A relieved growl rumbles from me as I charge for my female. The distance isn’t far and as soon as she reaches me, she pounces. I snag her small body into my arms, hugging her to me. Her body trembles as she sobs, squeezing my neck and wrapping her legs around my waist.
“I thought you were dead,” she cries. “I was so scared.
“Still here, mate. Still here with you.”
“Your mask,” she croaks out when she pulls away to look at me. “Oh no. You’ve been exposed.”